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Post by Raider Country on Jul 26, 2006 18:19:04 GMT -5
A new recruiting frontierMySpace presents NCAA with new-age violations Posted: Wednesday July 26, 2006 Earlier this summer, a handful of Kentucky fans tracked down the MySpace.com page of Patrick Patterson, a coveted basketball recruit from Huntington, W.Va., who calls himself the "King of DubV" on the site. He's an undecided, 6-foot-8 forward who is rated No. 16 overall in the class of 2007 by Scout.com and is being targeted by the Wildcats and nearly every other national powerhouse. And so those UK supporters, in their overzealousness, posted comments on Patterson's page, ranging from innocuous ("I'd sure like to see you in blue and white! GO CATS!"), to promotional (a photo of UK coach Tubby Smith coaching troops in Kuwait) to outright sexually suggestive (a pic of lips with the message, "Hey there sexy ... you need to make a trip down to Lexington soon so we can play a little one on one"). In the last poster's defense, Patterson did have a somewhat suggestive message of his own, which read, "I'm black and 6'8 and 217 lbs. So ladies, y'all know what that means" -- but in making that statement, he didn't break any NCAA rules. The UK fans who posted, however, may have -- and last week the school self-reported secondary violations for unacceptable written contact with recruits by "representatives of the institution's athletic interests" (as reported by the Lexington Herald-Leader). MySpace, to the world at large, is a social networking site with 94 million users (in the first week in July it was the U.S.' No. 1 Internet destination, accounting for 4.46 percent of all Web visits). But in the college basketball world -- where the NCAA's archaic rules fail to effectively address modern technology -- MySpace is one big recruiting violation waiting to happen. The NCAA's Recruiting Subcommittee plans to examine Internet issues at its meeting in September, but can it really extend its umbrella to interaction with high schoolers on MySpace? As one Division I athletic department official told SI.com this week, "You'd have to have someone on staff 24/7 to monitor it the right way -- and the cost of that would be unbelievable." Another said, "How in the world would that be policed?" Putting restraints on the 21st-century text-messaging craze, which is currently unrestricted between coaches and recruits, is feasible; the NCAA attempting to regulate MySpace, however, would be futile. Accountability is difficult; how can you prove the true identity of a fan with a screen name like "WildcatBlue," or be sure he's not, say, a saboteur from elsewhere in the SEC? And the sheer enormity of the site -- 94 million users -- makes keeping tabs on all new messages nearly impossible. And yet as of now, if the interpretation reached by UK (with counseling from the SEC compliance office) holds, any recruiting-oriented post made by a fan on a prospective player's MySpace page could equate to unacceptable contact by a booster. "A booster doesn't have to be someone who donates money," said Kentucky compliance director Sandy Bell. "As soon as they involve themselves in recruiting, we have to consider them a booster." By that reasoning, far more institutions than Kentucky have potentially been put in minor trouble by their own fans, including powerhouses such as North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas, Arizona and Florida. It seems absurd that MySpace comments could cause such a commotion, but since UK set the initial standard, SI.com has discovered the following MySpace activity that, until the NCAA steps up and offers a clarification, could be construed as violations: North Carolina and UCLA "fans" posted pleas this year on the MySpace page of recruit Kevin Love, who is ranked No. 2 overall in the class of 2007. Love committed to the Bruins on Tuesday (and, shockingly, did not mention message-board posters as his reason for doing so). Here's an unedited sampling of a few of the comments: • July 12, 2006, from "Steve_O," allegedly a UCLA student: "dude u have to come to ucla and now that mayo is gonna go to $C all the more reason to show him up for his one year in south central!" • June 25, 2006, from "Toby," allegedly a UNC fan: "K-LOVE Or should I say 200 -2008 NCAA Basketball Champion UNC TARHEEL!!! Thats right you WILL be a Champion if you come on down to N.C. to join the Famous Tarheel Family. I noticed on scout.com you are going to Ucla to visit w/ fam and maybe to camp for a day. Dont get exicted because , UNC is Much better. Anyway thanks for the add. GO HEELS!!" The page that purportedly belongs to O.J. Mayo, the No. 1-ranked recruit in the class of 2007, has drawn comments from hordes of fans, including alleged supporters of schools such as USC (to which Mayo has reportedly committed), Syracuse, Florida, Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio State, Memphis and Cincinnati. • July 24, 2006, from "RIB," allegedly a USC alum: "heyyyyyy! im hopin that all the usc talk is for real... you wont regret it... usc is better than any other university... i would know, class of 2005... i bleed burgandy and gold... GO TROJANS" • July 17, 2006, from "the light-skinned assassin," allegedly a Syracuse fan: "OJ. Choose Syracuse University Orange. You, Paul Harris, Dante Green, Devenodrof, Rick Jackson, Johnny Flinn... what? Who could stop that? Thats a real line-up." • July 11, 2006, from "Kris," allegedly a Florida fan (and one who believes the sophomores are staying for two years): "go to florida.... I mean u can win an easy natinal title before you go to the NBA yeah with You, Noah, Brewer, Green, and Humphrey = 2007 Natinal Champions" • July 7, 2006, from "Jason G," allegedly a Florida fan: "Don't go to USC, come to Gainesville and hang out with 'Dem Florida Boyz!' " • June 24, 2006, from "Kyle," allegedly a Louisville fan: "man rick pitino has got a hot program down at louisville.we will be competing for a champonship.we need u to come to louisville" • April 9, 2006, from "Matt," allegedly a (blunt) Kentucky fan: "U better be getting ur ass to UK..U could take us to another level in one year..then u can go pro and make millions" During the final weeks leading to class of 2006 recruit Darrell Arthur's May 9 decision to attend Kansas, purported fans of KU, Arizona and Texas -- with the Jayhawk contingent being the primary offenders -- posted on Arthur's page. • May 8, 2006, by "Peter," allegedly a KU fan: "lsu=one good year, no tradition baylor=never really been good, no tradition KANSAS=amazing tradition and the right fit for you!" • April 28, 2006, by "J-Mac," allegedly a KU fan (obscenities edited): "Man u betta pick kansas over all those otha sh--- schools, man dont u wanna play in front of 16,300 fans and in the most historic arena! so stop f----- around and get to kansas and play wit ur n---- sherron [Collins]" • April 6, 2006, by "the 6 billion dollar man," allegedly a Texas fan: "I sure as hell hope you go to Texas. I think if you do UT will win a championship, but go to the school that best suites you." • April 4, 2006, by "the law buddah," allegedly an Arizona alum: "yo- I am a proud UofA alum and I've seen some great talent pass through Coach Olson on their way to the next level. You have the size, the g-d given athletic talent and the skills to take the Cats to another level! Make the right choice and play for the best coach in all of College BBall...be a wildcat and bring a title to Tucson!" Returning to the kid -- Patterson -- whose page started this MySpace mess, it should be noted that Florida and Wake Forest fans have also posted on his page. • July 19, 2006, from "Scrait up at the beach," allegedly a UF fan: "Ma ninja...Do me a favor...Since I know Florida is recruitin you, and you can tell by my picture that thats my squad...I know youre gonna commit and go there, so help recruit O.J. [Mayo] for us...I seen where he said his final 3 schools was USC, Florida, and K-State...Think about it...2 Tri-State kids lightin up the SEC and winnin National Titles..." • June 22, 2006, from "WFDeacs1," allegedly a Wake fan: "Good Luck at camp this week Pat, nice comment below, but if you come to Wake, you will get the best education around and win championship rings as well. Not just one like Antoine Walker, but 3 like Tim Duncan has done." How far should we take this? That's 12 possible "written violations," found in a few hours' worth of Web surfing. If the NCAA wants to nitpick, it could probably find hundreds of such infractions in MySpace comment sections. None of these schools is likely to face a significant penalty, but they may be forced to follow the path of Kentucky by self-reporting their findings, and then attempting to educate their fan base about the perils of improper grassroots recruiting. UK's Bell went on local radio to instruct fans not to engage in any future misconduct, and also spread the word on popular Wildcats message boards. She has an intern in the compliance office who keeps tabs on Internet activity, from UK message boards to MySpace to Facebook, in an attempt to red-flag questionable content as early as possible. What's necessary at this juncture is for the NCAA to pull its rule book out of the ice ages -- and do so quickly -- by adding a number of new statements about recruiting and the Internet. Sites such as MySpace and Facebook aren't going away; they're only getting bigger, with thousands of new users jumping on the bandwagon every day. And the NCAA's options are limited. To ban all prospective student-athletes from having MySpace pages would impinge on free speech. To let the athletes have pages but attempt to police them for what would be considered "electronic communication" by boosters would require a massive staff. It would also be a massive waste of money. The answer is to set rules to regulate some electronic mediums, such as text-messaging, e-mails and Internet phone calls, and acknowledge that others, such as social networking sites with varying levels of anonymity, cannot be controlled. Otherwise the NCAA will have its athletic departments paranoid, at all hours, of fan activity on the Internet ... and there will be a new administrative position open at the headquarters in Indianapolis: Director of MySpace Monitoring. The idea of that, really, is more distressing than any secondary violation. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/luke_winn/07/26/myspace.violations/index.html
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Post by Raider Country on Jul 19, 2006 21:23:13 GMT -5
Kentucky reports MySpace violationPosted: Wednesday July 19, 2006 2:25PM; Updated: Wednesday July 19, 2006 2:25PM LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky self-reported a secondary NCAA violation because of postings on a potential recruit's MySpace.com Web site, apparently by fans. The postings on the site of West Virginia high school basketball star Patrick Patterson, who just completed his junior year at Huntington High School, tried to entice him to attend Kentucky, WLEX-TV in Lexington reported. "Fans are not allowed to interact with recruitable student athletes," Kentucky athletics spokesman Scott Stricklin said Wednesday. "We had to report that to the NCAA." Patterson, a 6-foot-8 center, was named the West Virginia Player of the Year this year and led Huntington High to its second straight state title, compiling 23 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocked shots in the championship game. For the regular season, he averaged 14.5 points, 11 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game and has had interest from several Division I colleges. Stricklin said when fans contact potential recruits, the school tries to educate them not do to that or it will hurt the school. He said if that takes care of the problem, there would likely be no further action. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/ncaa/07/19/bc.bkc.ukviolations.ap/index.html
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Post by Raider Country on Jul 8, 2006 9:37:34 GMT -5
Updated: July 7, 2006 Current headlines show depth of college hoops' woesBy Pat Forde ESPN.com INDIANAPOLIS -- For years, American youth basketball has been trying to scrub clean its greasy underbelly. At the game's current purification rate, though, Joakim Noah's ponytail will be gray before basketball has significantly reduced its oiliness. These are your pertinent story lines of the week in the sport, as recruiting season hits high gear here at the Nike All-America Camp and elsewhere: • An NCAA list of high schools and prep schools that are under scrutiny for suspiciously miraculous academic transformations includes some of the biggest names in basketball -- most notably Oak Hill Academy (Va.), Laurinburg (N.C.) Institute, Mt. Zion Academy (N.C.), Notre Dame Prep (Mass.), St. Thomas More Prep (Conn.) and The Patterson School (N.C.). With those schools' NCAA certification status up in the air, a number of high-profile players could be affected. • DeLoss Dodds, who as the Texas athletic director heads one of the pre-eminent athletic empires in the country, declared college basketball "a horrible business" to The Dallas Morning News. • Sonny Vaccaro, the original shoe titan and a self-acknowledged part of what's wrong with the game, is flexing more muscle than ever, now with Reebok. The latest: Players from Vaccaro's Reebok stable could be flocking to Sonny's Los Angeles backyard, apparently for star-making purposes. Class of 2007 star O.J. Mayo, from Cincinnati, reportedly has made a surprising oral commitment to Southern California (an arrangement that, if consummated, won't last longer than the Trojans' final dribble of the 2007-08 season). Class of 2009 star Renardo Sidney -- whose father, a former school security guard, is now a paid Reebok "consultant" -- has moved from Mississippi to L.A., according to several media reports. That should be enough to wilt your pompom right there. A troubled sport isn't getting any healthier at the moment. Problem is, the genie is so far out of the bottle that there's no conceivable means of forcing him back in. The genie has set up shop on campus -- and probably has his own office a few doors down from the head coach. Every solution only creates a new set of unforeseen problems, and every new rule is countered by a new scam. The shoe influence isn't going away. The NBA dollar signs in the kids' eyes aren't going away. The human barnicles who attach themselves to the kids aren't going away. And the lack of interest in (and emphasis on) academics -- in high school or college -- isn't going away. At least the NCAA took a step toward addressing the latest academic scam: bogus prep schools that clean up three years of lousy transcripts with a one-year makeover, allowing players to gain college eligibility. For too many basketball players, high school has become a vagabond process -- bouncing from one school to the next, until finishing at a prep school that magically fixes a player's academic deficiencies. Of course, the very fact the NCAA Clearinghouse was rubber-stamping all manner of garbage diploma mills necessitated the corrective action. Now those who wound up on what everyone at the Nike camp is calling the "banned list" are squawking. Powerhouse programs like Oak Hill and the others listed above have had their 2006 graduates cleared to begin the initial eligibility process, but the NCAA has said the schools' academics are "subject to further review." "Obviously, I was shocked, surprised, to be listed with some of those other schools," Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said. "I was a little disturbed when I saw it. They never visited our school, never called us. Our door's open, baby. Come down and visit, we don't have anything to hide. "We've been there 128 years. I've been there 21 years as head coach. We've never had any problems with the NCAA." Smith said Oak Hill's president called the NCAA Thursday to get an explanation. Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for membership services, said his institution hardly apologized for Oak Hill's inclusion on its list. "We've laid out to the [Oak Hill] principal the exact reasons they're on the list," Lennon said. "I think there's a little bit of an understanding why we might be concerned." Speaking generally, Lennon said the NCAA identified schools that took in large numbers of transfers and/or fifth-year students, and schools where athletes made major jumps in the number of core courses passed or a big rise in grade-point average. "If you had a 1.0 GPA for three years and failed all your math classes," Lennon said, "we want to know how you then got a 4.0 and three years of math credits in one year." The most publicized prep school on the list is Philadelphia Lutheran Christian -- the kind of school Smith so strenuously objected to being linked with. That storefront school was outed for its sketchy academics by The Washington Post and The New York Times this past winter. Many coaches at Nike wondered how Lutheran Christian avoided being immediately banned by the NCAA. Lennon said that the review process is continuing for that school -- and that its "graduates" have hardly been green-lighted to play in 2006-07. "Some of the students who attended there might get their records reviewed [by the NCAA Clearinghouse]," Lennon said. The NCAA's other hope is that its member schools will stop using the Clearinghouse eligibility standard as their own. In other words, just because the NCAA screwed up in allowing schools like Lutheran Christian to proliferate, it doesn't mean the schools have to look the other way and admit its players. "That should not be a de facto admissions standard," Lennon said. It might be asking too much for athletic programs, though, to suddenly show some restraint when the star power forward shows up with a transcript that looks like a ransom note. It also might be asking too much to believe that college basketball will ever mount a significant and successful reform movement. The genie has grown way too big for his bottle. Pat Forde is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at ESPN4D@aol.com. sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2512797
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Post by Raider Country on Jul 5, 2006 19:10:17 GMT -5
Sources: O.J. Mayo told USC staff he was committingBy Andy Katz ESPN.com O.J. Mayo, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2007, told the USC coaching staff and players last week that he would commit to the Trojans, multiple sources told ESPN.com. The 6-foot-4 Mayo, as recognizable a high school recruiting name as LeBron James and Greg Oden, made the statement while on his unofficial recruiting visit last week in Los Angeles. He still needs to make that sentiment public, though. He could do so as early as this weekend at the Reebok ABCD Camp on the Fairleigh Dickinson campus in Teaneck, N.J. High school recruits often say one thing to a coaching staff to appease them and then sign somewhere else during the fall and spring signing periods, but multiple sources told ESPN.com that the Trojans are awaiting public word from Mayo. Even after he makes an announcement, though, the Trojans would have to wait until the November signing period before it's truly official. NCAA rules forbid college coaches from commenting publicly on commitments until they receive a signed national letter of intent. That said, if Mayo verbally commits to USC this weekend -- or anytime before the fall -- he would immediately go down as the most significant recruit in USC basketball history. Mayo still could have other alternatives instead of going to college in the fall of 2007. There is a possibility he could go overseas for a year or compete in a barnstorming tour with other high-profile players who are prohibited from entering the NBA draft until they are at least 19 and one year out of high school. Details of possible moves like this are expected to be explored in September. Still, those would be unchartered waters. The more traditional approach for Mayo would be to do what Oden did: go to school for at least one year. Oden chose Ohio State and is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft if he declares. Mayo, who is still scheduled to finish his high school career at North College Hill in Cincinnati, is a potential No. 1 overall pick in 2008 if he were to declare. "[Mayo] could change a program and give it instant credibility," said one source. "He sees the big market and knows that he's not too far away from being marketed. [Going to USC] would only help him and he's confident enough to win a national championship." The assumption for over a year was that Mayo would go to Cincinnati if Bob Huggins were still employed there, or follow him to wherever he landed, which ended up being Kansas State. Multiple sources told ESPN.com, though, that Mayo called USC coach Tim Floyd in November to express his interest in joining the Trojans. Mayo then played in an event in Los Angeles in December, with reports surfacing that he was interested in a West Coast school. The assumption at the time was that it was UCLA, but by December, it had been made clear to USC that it was the Trojans, not the Bruins, who were in the hunt. Multiple sources said that Mayo wanted to be in a major media market and that he told the USC staff he didn't want to be just another name at a school like Duke or North Carolina. He wanted to win big, go to the NBA and already have been marketed in a media center. Sources also said that Mayo was very aware of the attention USC's back-to-back Heisman winners, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, received the past two seasons. "He's a little bit different for a kid his age," a source said. Mayo was in Los Angeles last Wednesday to Friday. He met with the coaching staff, played with USC's returning players on campus and had a conversation with USC athletic director Mike Garrett. Mayo also met with Floyd for the first time. A source said Floyd has only talked to Mayo a handful of times, with Mayo showing more enthusiasm in this partnership than USC. That's what makes this even more of a coup for the Trojans, assuming it becomes official. Even though he coached in the NBA at Chicago and New Orleans, Floyd has only had one highly rated freshman in his college career -- Marcus Fizer, while he was at Iowa State. The timing of a Mayo commitment couldn't come at a better time for the Trojans. USC is still emotionally spent after dealing with the tragic death of freshman point guard Ryan Francis, and also needs to overcome the loss of star shooting guard Gabe Pruitt, who is academically ineligible for the first semester. The Trojans are also opening their new arena, the Galen Center, this fall. A Mayo commitment may lead to another major coup if teammate and close friend Bill Walker, another top-10 player in the class of 2007, were to follow him to USC. The two have said for the past two years that they would play together in college. Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2510229
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Post by Raider Country on Jul 5, 2006 19:08:10 GMT -5
Here are 10 recruiting stories to followBy Andy Katz ESPN.com Archive The madness of another kind begins Thursday. Throughout July, college coaches with their school logos splashed across their chests will be scurrying through airports, cruising highways and checking into chain hotels from coast to coast as they try to catch as much prep talent as possible in person during two separate 10-day evaluation periods. Some coaches love this month. Others hate it because of the exhaustive travel and the countless hours in gyms, some sweatier than others. Try zigzagging through Las Vegas countless times, covering three different sneaker-sponsored tournaments in 100-plus degree "dry" heat, and you'll understand. Nike, Adidas and Reebok dominate the month, with pickup ball much more prevalent than the skill stations run only at more instructional camps. This is a month when everyone wants to be seen -- and the NCAA is fine with that, as long as no one is heard from. Players cannot talk to coaches and vice versa. From a college hoops standpoint, there are numerous subplots that should be intriguing to follow as coaches descend on the camps and tournaments. Here are 10 of the bigger ones to follow: 1. How visible will IU assistants be this month? Indiana head coach Kelvin Sampson is banned from recruiting off-campus for a year, but his assistants can roam freely. Ray McCallum and Jeff Meyer aren't national faces, but they'll need to have that Indiana crest in the sight of plenty of players as they draw attention to the school, with Sampson unable to make a cameo. This is a significant recruiting summer for the Hoosiers, with D.J. White likely gone to the NBA after this upcoming season. 2. How ready will White be for competition? As a counselor, White is scheduled to play at the Nike camp. He said he's ready for full action after missing all but five games for the Hoosiers with foot injuries this past season. If he has a good run at Nike, he could help elevate the perception of his game as well as the projections of where the Hoosiers will finish in the Big Ten. 3. How cut is Glen Davis? LSU coach John Brady says Davis is down to 290, shaving some 20-odd pounds from his playing weight of this past season. The rising junior center also is scheduled to play at Nike later this week during the counselor pickup games. NBA scouts usually are courtside, and if Davis is thinner and even more nimble, he could be playing himself into a higher money slot in the 2007 draft and positioning LSU to hang with Florida in the SEC. 4. How strong is Eric Gordon's verbal commitment to Illinois? On the surface, it should be a lock. The guard out of North Central High in Indianapolis verbally committed to the Illini in November. There is an unwritten rule that a verbal commitment shouldn't be touched by any other school, especially a league rival. There are plenty of exceptions, though -- such as point guard Doug Wiggins of East Hartford (Conn.) High School, who backed out of his verbal commitment to St. John's to go to UConn. So no one should be shocked if Indiana makes a play this summer. 5. Where will Kevin Love land? The most talented big man in the class of 2007 -- and rated No. 1 overall by some -- is down to UCLA and North Carolina. Notice there's no mention of Oregon for the prep out of the Beaver State. The Ducks flew south long ago in this recruitment, with Love looking for one of the game's true blue-blooded programs. He could make his announcement in the next week. 6. What kind of buzz will O.J. Mayo create? Forget about his college destination. Mayo should create a scene whenever he plays this summer -- akin to the LeBron buzz the summer prior to his senior season. Everyone will want to see Mayo play. 7. Which headline coach will be the last to leave a gym? Having covered recruiting the past 17 years, I've witnessed many a scene, but few rival seeing coaches like North Carolina's Roy Williams and Arizona's Lute Olson sitting in some high school gym in Vegas past midnight. They are two of the hardest-working recruiters in the land. Since they lead such power programs as North Carolina and Arizona, the assumption is that they don't have to work hard, but Williams and Olson are hands-on the whole month. 8. Will Greg Oden participate at the USA Basketball trials? Not likely, but Oden is expected to watch the trials in Las Vegas at the end of the month. Oden can be on the 2008 Olympic team even if he doesn't play or make the World Championships team this summer. His presence, even if he only watches, should create a story line for training camp. 9. How noticeable will Bobby Cremins (College of Charleston), Bob Huggins (Kansas State) and Sidney Lowe (N.C. State) be on the road? Cremins hasn't done recruiting since 2000, but this should still feel familiar to him. Still, the grind could wear on him as he must make his presence felt on the road. Huggins is iconic and likely will choose his spots wisely. Lowe must get out to familiarize himself with the system, since the current setup wasn't around in the early '80s. 10. Will Jim Larranaga be a familiar face? The George Mason coach was a memorable name in March, but will he resonate in July? Larranaga needs to capitalize on the popularity of his Final Four darlings. The question is whether recruits were paying enough attention in March to be able to pick out his face. Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=2509715
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Post by Raider Country on Jul 2, 2006 8:46:51 GMT -5
Summer hoops by the numbersBY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER 12: Months each year Nike All-American Camp director Sherman Dillard scours the country looking for the best high school prospects to invite. 200: Summer basketball teams nationwide that receive some form of sponsorship by the three major shoe companies. 221: NCAA-certified summer basketball events set up for college coaches to recruit players. 20: Days in July for coaches to do that recruiting. $500,000: Annual endorsement money Michael Jordan received from Nike when Sonny Vaccaro signed him in 1984. $2.6 billion: Nike sales generated by Jordan until he retired in 1999. $12.8 million: Annual endorsement money Nike pays LeBron James. $16 billion: Money generated annually by the athletic-shoe industry. $3.5 million: Vaccaro's reported annual budget for directing Reebok's grassroots efforts. 48: Years' difference in age between Vaccaro (66) and O.J. Mayo (18), the most sought-after player by shoe company recruiters. E-mail ddow@enquirer.com news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060702/SPT01/607020368/1062/SPT
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Post by Raider Country on Jul 2, 2006 8:45:54 GMT -5
Vaccaro built the empireBut after elevating Nike and adidas, it's new game with Reebok BY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER The summer basketball system is turning against the man who created it - and he couldn't be happier. Sonny Vaccaro is the pioneer of the shoe company-dominated summer basketball recruiting scene. But recent alterations to the landscape are combating Vaccaro's and the sneaker industry's influence on players' futures almost three decades after Vaccaro began signing college coaches to endorsement contracts while working for Nike. "When I was with Nike, it was all about the shoes and sending players to Nike colleges," Vaccaro said. "Now it's more fun. It's about the camps and tournaments." Vaccaro, 66, will host the ABCD Camp for the 23rd straight year beginning Thursday in Teaneck, N.J. The camp, which attracts the best 200 or so high school players in the country, has been affiliated with Reebok since 2003; before that, it had ties to adidas and Nike, following Vaccaro's career path as a recruiter for those shoe companies. But Reebok has little presence on a college basketball scene dominated by Nike and adidas. And unlike years past, when the premier high school players had the opportunity to enter the NBA draft, stars such as North College Hill's O.J. Mayo now are subject to an NBA age limit that forces them to play in college or somewhere other than the NBA for at least one year. So Vaccaro, the man whose savvy and personality delivered Michael Jordan to Nike for $2.5 million in 1984 and Kobe Bryant to adidas for $10 million in 1996, now has to play within rules that limit his ability to woo Mayo to Reebok in the future. That would seem to be a problem for Vaccaro, who made a career in the shoe business by signing college coaches to deals with either Nike (1978-91) or adidas (1991-2003) and steering players to those schools. "I can't tell these guys to go to Reebok schools now; there are no Reebok schools," Vaccaro said. So now Vaccaro is most focused on building his key events, the ABCD Camp and the Reebok Big Time tournament in Las Vegas, as big as he can, without much regard for where players go to school or which teams they sign deals with in the future. That means getting Mayo, who plays for a Reebok-sponsored summer team, to show up Tuesday at ABCD. Proudly, Vaccaro said: "Kids don't talk about what college they're going to; they talk about whether they're going to the ABCD Camp or Nike camp." Last summer, big-time Nike player Kevin Love spurned the Swoosh in order to play at Reebok's ABCD Camp. Nike had hoped to sway Mayo this year, but he's expected to play at ABCD - delighting Vaccaro, who relishes the competition involved in getting the best teams and players to align with him and Reebok. "It's what I live for," Vaccaro said. "But until they get off that plane ... I don't know for sure." In the 1980s, when he was building Nike's name, Vaccaro's Nike camp was the only option for major players. But he was fired in 1991. "It was time to go," Vaccaro said. "I was becoming Mr. Nike, and I could never have been the public face of Nike." So he moved on to adidas, and the summer scene accelerated with Nike and Vaccaro competing against each other for the best players. Vaccaro set up big contracts with Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady. Then came the biggest prize of all: LeBron James. Vaccaro and adidas were by his side from 2001-03, with the company sponsoring James' summer league and high school teams. But Nike won LeBron as a pro, signing him to a $90 million deal. Vaccaro was furious with adidas. "Adidas wouldn't give me the money to sign LeBron," Vaccaro said. "After that, I couldn't look kids in the eye anymore." So Vaccaro bolted for Reebok and signed Mayo's summer team, the D1 Greyhounds, to a deal worth close to $100,000 per year. "Sonny's always there," Mayo said fondly of Vaccaro last year, "in the background." But Mayo hasn't limited himself to Reebok gear, appearing in all three major brands in the past year - an indication that a shoe deal isn't a big concern just yet. "If he signs with Reebok in two years, it might have a little to do with me," Vaccaro said of Mayo, "but it's really because they're going to give him a hell of a lot of money." E-mail ddow@enquirer.com news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060702/SPT01/607020327/1062/SPT
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Post by Raider Country on Jul 2, 2006 8:44:31 GMT -5
Some teams have to pay their own wayBY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER For all the excess afforded teams and players at the top of the summer basketball totem pole, there are still those that have to operate the old-fashioned way: by paying for it themselves. Ozie Davis has led the Queen City Prophets for nine years in Cincinnati, and he continually seeks a major shoe contract to help pay the bills. His summer program has yet to land a deal, despite having dozens of players go on to receive college scholarships - notably C.J. Anderson (Manhattan/Xavier), Brandon Hunter (Ohio) and Robert Hite (University of Miami). "Our true mission is we're trying to get kids into college for free," Davis said of the Prophets program. "It definitely helps if you have a shoe contract to help pay the travel budget. We've never got that big shoe deal. That's what we're trying for now." Across town, the D1 Greyhounds and their renowned roster, which includes top high school players O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker, receive tens of thousands of dollars each year from Reebok. But the Prophets get by on little more than shoes and uniforms - no money - from shoe company And 1. Davis raises funds and uses his own money to come up with the $30,000 it takes to get the program through the travel-intensive month of July. A couple years ago, Davis thought he was close to receiving a deal from adidas. He was pursuing rising Cincinnati star Yancy Gates to play for the Prophets, and adidas was interested in Gates. But Gates ended up playing for the adidas-sponsored Cleveland Basketball Club, and that eliminated the need for the company to sponsor more than one Ohio team. Shoe companies are hesitant to sponsor more than one program per competitive region unless there is compelling reason to do so, such as the presence of a top-rated player such as Gates. "I made that decision," said Gates' father, CBC coach Tony Dees, "and it was based on watching the AAU programs in Cincinnati. I decided not to deal with things here in this city and go elsewhere." Meanwhile, the Prophets continue to pump out college players. Chris Wright, whom Nike has invited to multiple camps, is headed to Dayton in the fall, and Adrion Graves is going to Xavier. Among the team's soon-to-be seniors, Lonnie Hayes could get a late invitation to either the Nike All-American or adidas Superstar camp this week. "Our future is bright," Davis said of the Prophets. "We're in a position where we can continue to fundraise whether we get a deal with adidas or not. Right now, it comes out of our pocket, but we're here to support the kids." E-mail ddow@enquirer.com news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060702/SPT01/607020326/1062/SPT
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Post by Raider Country on Jul 2, 2006 8:42:34 GMT -5
July has coaches here, there and everywhereBY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRE STAFF WRITER Think July is demanding for players? The month is no vacation for college coaches and assistants, either. For 20 days, they're on the road and adjusting schedules on the fly, depending on which recruit's games they need to watch. Most days last more than 12 hours and are spent traveling from gym to gym, game to game. Meals? They catch them when they can. Exercise? Xavier assistant Chris Mack recalled an occasion last July when he drove 10 hours round-trip in one day to watch a junior-college open-gym session. He stopped at a high school on the return trip to run around the track for a half-hour. "I just had to release pent-up energy from all that driving," Mack said. Mack does most of the strategizing for Xavier's July recruiting. That planning process takes most of June to complete. "I try to be as organized and planned as possible to see all the kids we want to see throughout the month," Mack said. "But things constantly change throughout July and you're driving to some gym to see more of a player that impressed you the day before." One of the necessities? "I've learned," Mack said, "to always rent a car with Hertz NeverLost in it." That's a GPS system Hertz offers to drivers who don't want to fumble with maps in unfamiliar territory. E-mail ddow@enquirer.com news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060702/SPT01/607020324/1062/SPT
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Post by Raider Country on Jul 2, 2006 8:41:34 GMT -5
Camps make players' stock sink or soarBY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER For the nation's best high school basketball players, July is the most important month for their future. Players' performances during the 20 days of recruiting will determine whether they are Big Ten (major) or Big South (low-major) prospects. "There have been guys that have had one great game in July and it's gotten them a scholarship," University of Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. Cronin said that when he coached Murray State (2003-06), the Racers were recruiting a player named Xavier Hansbro. In one July game, Hansbro made four straight 3-pointers and became the talk of the camp. "These (Southeastern Conference) coaches hadn't seen him as much as we had, but they see a 6-9 guy do that," Cronin said, "(and) he goes from being maybe an Ohio Valley Conference guy to an SEC guy in one game." Hansbro committed to Ole Miss, where he averaged 2.0 points and 1.1 rebounds over 25 games last season as a freshman. Because of situations like that, Cronin said mid-major coaches often secretly root for players they are recruiting to have a performance that's average - or worse - during the summer. "Oh, yessiree," said Miami University coach Charlie Coles. "There aren't any Wally Szczerbiaks slipping through the ranks anymore. You want the players you're recruiting to be good enough to show you that they can play for you. And then you want them to play bad, so no one else notices them." Szczerbiak was the second player in Miami history to surpass 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists in his career. He was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Then there's Churchill Odia, who played terrifically during July 2003 before committing to Xavier despite offers from big-time schools like North Carolina. But Odia transferred from XU in 2005 after one season in which he didn't meet the expectations he'd established two summers before. It can work in reverse, as well. When Cronin was an assistant at Louisville, Taquan Dean committed to the Cardinals thanks to Cronin's efforts before the summer recruiting period. Dean then had sub-par performances in July. "Coach (Rick) Pitino was breathing down my neck all summer about whether this guy was good enough to play for us," Cronin said. Dean went on to set Louisville's 3-point record. "You have to be careful in July not to see a guy one time and make a quick judgment," Cronin said. "The hardest thing is you want to watch all the games going on, but you can't. You have to do true talent evaluations." E-mail ddow@enquirer.com news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060702/SPT01/607020325/1062/SPT
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Post by Raider Country on Jul 2, 2006 8:40:22 GMT -5
Putting their best foot forwardBY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Forget about summer vacation - it doesn't exist for the nation's best high school basketball players, including several from Greater Cincinnati. For them, the next four weeks entail pressure-filled résumé building on the court, not frolicking at Kings Island or in the swimming pool. Though there are five months to go before the start of the prep regular season, the most important games for premier high school players tip off Thursday with the start of the sneaker industry-controlled July college recruiting period. "For any player that wants to get seen by college head coaches," said University of Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin, "July is the time." Three prestigious summer camps will start the frenzy when hosts Nike, Reebok and adidas open gym doors in Indianapolis, New Jersey and Georgia. Basketball futures will be made or lost as coaches flock to watch elite players from all 50 states and beyond. Coaches have 20 days - July 6-15, and July 22-31 - to see and be seen by the next crop of potential NCAA Tournament heroes. "Imagine playing in a gym and all the bleachers are filled with college coaches," said North College Hill guard O.J. Mayo, who is the top-rated high school prospect in the nation according to most analysts. "Coach Ks. Pitinos. Tubby Smiths," Mayo added. "You see all them guys and all their eyes are on you, and you're trying to showcase your ability. It's a whole different level." HOOKING THEM EARLYAll of this unfolds with manipulation from Nike, adidas and Reebok. The Big Three shoe titans have run these camps for more than two decades and still battle to land the best teen-aged players in hope of developing all-important brand loyalty. Getting players into one of these camps is among the first steps in what the shoe companies - and players - hope ends in an endorsement deal. "The thought is that we want to make a Nike impression on the players when they're young," said Uti Middleton, a marketing representative for Nike's summer camps. "Then when they graduate high school, they'll go to a Nike-sponsored college. Then when they go on to the NBA, they'll be loyal to Nike, wear Nikes, sign deals with Nike. Believe me, it works." Middleton cited the Miami Heat's Antoine Walker, who is in adidas' stable of players, as a loyalist Nike was unable to sway. Walker grew up playing for an adidas summer team and signed with the German company as a pro. But with the up-and-coming players, "there's no loyalty anymore," Middleton said. "I'm sure adidas thinks of it as an investment down the road," said Tony Dees, father and summer coach of Yancy Gates, who plays for Hughes Center and the adidas-sponsored Cleveland Basketball Club. "We're glad to have the sponsorship. But we can't promise adidas anything in the future." Nor could LeBron James, who played in adidas throughout his high school career, only to opt for Nike and a $90 million contract when he turned pro in 2003. No other amateur player is coveted to the extent of Mayo, a senior-to-be at North College Hill. Shoe companies and major-college coaches monitor his every move, hoping to gain a sliver of camaraderie with the budding star, with whom a future relationship could bring fortunes. "I'd correlate it directly to a college coach who's out recruiting," said adidas spokesperson Travis Gonzalez. "It's about being seen at players' games and having them at your camps." MAKE-OR-BREAK TIMEMayo's actions tend to cause commotion when they are related to what's on his feet. Just two months ago, the shoe company recruiting circuit was abuzz about how Mayo might bolt from Reebok when he briefly played for a Miami-based Nike team. But shoe deals don't weigh heavily on Mayo's mind just yet. "You know, that stuff doesn't mean anything to me," he said recently after an open gym at Xavier University's Cintas Center. "I mean, look at what I'm wearing right now." A head-to-toe glance revealed shoes, shorts and a tank top made by adidas, a company that has no formal links to Mayo or his summer basketball team, the Reebok-sponsored D1 Greyhounds. Reebok funds the Greyhounds with close to $100,000 annually, which pays for air travel, hotels, uniforms, shoes, entry fees for tournaments and other team expenses. In return, Mayo wears Reebok shoes on the court. Come Tuesday, Mayo is expected to be in Teaneck, N.J,. at Reebok's ABCD camp. That's where 200 or so of the best high school players are featured in matchups designed to identify the best of the best by the end of the week. College coaches may begin showing up Thursday, and they'll see heated competitions in which the winners are elevated to can't-miss-recruit status. James experienced this phenomenon five years ago when his team squared off against that of higher-profile recruit Lenny Cooke. The two players went head to head, with James getting the better of Cooke. After that, James' career took off, culminating in his No. 1 selection in the 2003 NBA draft. Cooke - in an extreme example of the risk of failing at one of these camps - disappeared from the recruiting radar. He managed to get onto low-level professional rosters overseas and domestically for a few years, but the Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association waived him in February, three months after signing him. "That's why summer basketball is so great," said Reebok ABCD camp director Sonny Vaccaro, who also has worked for Nike and adidas. "High school basketball is just camouflage. The best don't go against each other." FUTURES AT STAKEThe competition among these camps to snag a player like Mayo is fierce - and ongoing. Even in the final days leading to the start of its camp, Nike will hold out hope that Mayo will spurn Reebok and his close association with Vaccaro, who has known Mayo since he was in the eighth grade. "I hope he comes to ABCD," said Vaccaro, who recruited Michael Jordan for Nike in the 1980s. "That's important to me personally. But I don't have a contract with O.J. He's free to do what he wants to do." All three shoe giants have camps and tournaments throughout July after this week's big events. There are 221 NCAA-certified camps and tournaments - many affiliated with shoe companies - in place for coaches to recruit players. For the best of the best, the high school season is incomparable to the drama of summer ball. "During the high school season, one or two of the players on the other teams are good players," said Hughes' Gates, a 6-foot-8 center rated among the top players in the class of 2008. "During July, you see all the good players, as good as you are or better. It plays a big role, because all the college coaches are there watching you. You go out hard to perform, because you don't want to be seen as just an average player." COMPANY CONNECTIONSThe atmosphere certainly is different from that of the average high school basketball game. Teams are stacked with all-star talent but usually play in front of stands scattered with only coaches and parents, even though the public can purchase tickets. There are no cheerleaders or mascots, because that's not the point. "As much as we want to be purists in a sense it's all for the love of the game, the shoe companies have picked up the ball where high school associations drop it," said Dru Joyce, James' former high school and summer basketball coach in Akron. "It's just a reality. The shoe companies fund a lot of teams." But at college commitment time, shoe companies can't control everything. In general, few players are choosing schools based on the logo adorning shoes or uniforms. "If that were the case," said Chris Mack, an assistant at Nike-sponsored Xavier University, "we wouldn't recruit adidas or Reebok kids." And to be sure, coaching staffs travel to camps and tournaments hosted by each of the companies, lest they miss out on a potential star prospect. UC's Cronin said about "80 percent of recruiting is normal," meaning parents and players make decisions without shoe company influence. Occasions do exist, however, when college coaches - who receive lucrative sponsorship contracts from shoe companies - benefit from their relationships with the sneaker businesses. For instance, Kansas State coach Bob Huggins' longtime dealings with Nike paved the way for the Wildcats to snare a pair of South Florida recruits shortly after the former UC coach arrived in Manhattan, Kan. Miami Tropics players Jason Bennett and Louis Colon committed to Kansas State because of Huggins' connection to the Nike-sponsored Tropics' coach, Art Alvarez. "My loyalty is with Nike," Alvarez said, "and I'm going to do whatever I can do to help Nike." E-mail ddow@enquirer.com news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060702/SPT0301/607020367/1062/SPT
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Post by Raider Country on Aug 30, 2006 18:31:21 GMT -5
Miami Ohio RedhawksOverall Rank: #73 Conference Rank: #2 MAC 2005-06: 18-11, 14-4, 2nd East (t) 2005-06 postseason: NIT It seems like every year Miami of Ohio loses a great player or two and everybody gets worried. Then Coach Charlie Coles pulls his troops together and pushes for a 20 win season. Unfortunately, that hasn’t resulted in success in the MAC Tournament since the Hawks haven’t been dancing since 1999. There might not be enough depth for Miami to end the NCAA drought this year, but the NIT is easily within reach. Who’s Out: This time around the big loss is William Hatcher. The 6-2 guard led the team with 14.3 points and 4.3 assists during his senior campaign. After being hindered early in the year by injuries, fellow guard Josh Hausfeld had a productive final season in Oxford and earned 16 starts. Nate VanderSluis wasn’t a dominant big man, but averaged 4.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 28 starts. Seldom used guards Chad Troyer and Lawrence Ross have opted to transfer. Who’s In: Carl Richburg has some expectations placed on him. The 5-9 point guard redshirted last season after playing one year at Southern Indiana. He’s quick, a good distributor and a fine scorer, but when the pressure is on it remains to be seen how well Richburg will react. Redshirt freshman Adam Fletcher will provide some depth at the center spot. Three incoming freshmen will battle for minutes on the perimeter. Alex Moosman scored 23.4 points per game as a senior in high school, but it is his point guard skills that will allow him to see plenty of minutes this year. At 6-4 and 210 pounds, Antonio Ballard has the versatility to play at the shooting guard spot or either forward position and is expected to contribute right away. It may take a little while for Steve Pogue to find his spot on the team. Pogue has plenty of potential and, at 6-5, adds another big guard to dominate the perimeter in the near future. Who to Watch: It’s usually the guards that dominate the MAC, but the RedHawks have a trio of forwards that will be the team leaders. Tim Pollitz, a 6-6 junior, averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 boards last year and could end up to be the next big star in Oxford. Nathan Peavy tacked on 11.2 points and a team high 6.9 rebounds during the 2005-2006 campaign and will be the senior leader of the frontcourt. Michael Bramos saw most of his action off of the bench as a freshman, but showed plenty of promise and potential and will be ready to battle for a consistent starting role this year. Add an experienced senior center into the mix like Monty St. Clair, and Miami has the deepest frontcourt in the conference. Final Projection: It is hoped that Doug Penno can continue the string of successful guards at Millett Hall. Penno, who started 15 games last season, has a decent outside shot and has developed into a solid team leader. The 6-5 shooting guard will be given the opportunity to put up huge numbers during his senior campaign. The questions lie in the backcourt and the overall depth doesn’t have much experience. However, once the MAC season gets underway, the newcomers should have enough experience to get Miami towards the top of the conference. Having that success last into March is yet to be seen. Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT Projected Starting Five: Carl Richburg, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season Doug Penno, Senior, Guard, 5.1 points per game Michael Bramos, Sophomore, Forward, 5.3 points per game Tim Pollitz, Junior, Forward, 12.7 points per game Nathan Peavy, Senior, Forward, 11.2 points per game www.collegehoopsnet.com/preview/2006/73.htm
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Post by Raider Country on Aug 15, 2006 21:11:59 GMT -5
Loyola Chicago RamblersOverall Rank: #88 Conference Rank: #1 Horizon 2005-06: 19-11, 8-8, 3rd (t) 2005-06 postseason: none Loyola Chicago returns all but one player from a team that went 8-8 in conference and 19-11 overall last season, including wins over Bradley and Purdue. Coach Jim Whitesell has brought the winning ways back to Chicago and, at least on paper, this is the best team Ramblerland has seen in quite some time. Who’s Out: Chris Logan started 22 contests, averaging 8.8 points, as a senior. His departure won’t worry Loyola fans though with J.R. Blount, Majak Kou and Blake Schilb returning to the perimeter. Blount, a sophomore point guard, averaged 11.3 points and 2.3 assists last season. Kou isn’t the most consistent shooter around, but can get to the bucket and looks to increase on his 12.8 points per game a year ago. Schilb, an early candidate for Horizon Player of the Year, averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals. Who’s In: If and when healthy, Matt Adler will see his first action for the Ramblers. The 6-11 center redshirted last season and can make an immediate contribution in the shot blocking department. Andy Polka, a 6-7 240 pound power forward spent his summer playing for the United States at the Global Games with good results. He’ll find it troublesome to see too many minutes as a true freshman with the depth the Ramblers have up front, but the potential is there for big things in the future. The depth on the perimeter is an issue and Courtney Horton will have the opportunity to put an end to that concern. The 6-2 transfer from Southeastern Community College in Iowa averaged 13.8 points and 5.1 rebounds last year and will provide a spark off the bench. Speaking of providing a spark off the bench, Marvell Waithe would do that quite nicely. Some academic concerns leave his eligibility in question, but if he can play, the 6-7 wing will bring another scoring threat onto the court. The Canadian has a smooth stroke, but needs to work on his strength in order to be effective going to the basket. Who to Watch: Leon Young isn’t the experienced option up front, but after an explosive freshman campaign big things are expected from the 6-6 forward. Young averaged 10.4 points and 7.2 rebounds while coming off the bench in all but five games. His minutes might not go up too much, but Young could put up even bigger numbers with a year of experience on his side. Kye Pattrick started 25 games as a junior last season. Once the 6-9, 250 pound Australian learned how to stay out of foul trouble, he became quite productive despite the overall numbers of just 1.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. There is tons of depth up front too with Brandon Woods and Tom Levin both having starting experience. Junior Tracy Robinson saw the least amount of minutes of the big guys last year, but showed potential while seeing an increase in playing time late last season. Final Projection: Teams like Detroit, Wright State, Butler and Wisconsin-Green Bay aren’t going to make what could be a magical season easy. In fact, top to bottom, the Horizon is a vastly improved conference and nobody is going to concede anything to Loyola. Yet, with this much talent, the Ramblers are the favorites to make the NCAAs, which would be their first trip since the Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1985. Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA Projected Starting Five: J.R. Blount, Sophomore, Guard, 11.3 points per game Majak Kou, Senior, Guard, 12.8 points per game Blake Schilb, Senior, Guard, 19.1 points per game Leon Young, Sophomore, Forward, 10.4 points per game Kye Pattrick, Senior, Center, 1.9 points per game www.collegehoopsnet.com/preview/2006/88.htm
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Post by Raider Country on Aug 7, 2006 18:09:09 GMT -5
Dayton FlyersOverall Rank: #97 Conference Rank: #7 Atlantic 10 2005-06: 14-17, 6-10, 11th (t) 2005-06 postseason: none Big things were expected after Coach Brian Gregory brought an impressive recruiting class to Dayton in 2004. With what remains of that class now being upperclassmen, it is time they start winning more consistently. Who’s Out: The big loss is point guard Warren Williams, who averaged 5.5 points and 4.4 assists as a senior. That leaves the Flyers without a proven point guard on the squad. The backcourt also loses little used Marques Bennett and Jeff Penno. Big men Chris Alvarez and James Cripe have opted to transfer. Alvarez was the more productive of the two, earning 13 starts and averaging 3.6 points and 4.3 rebounds as a sophomore last season. Who’s In: Andres Sandoval is a lightning quick combo guard who will have a lot of pressure on him from the get go. After stints at Richmond and Santa Fe Community College, Sandoval will be asked to run the point for Dayton. The 6-4 Milford, Massachusetts native is relatively new to running the show, but has the talent to thrive at that position. Incoming freshman London Warren will be his backup. Warren can equal Sandoval in his quickness and will bring some intensity off of the bench. Shooting guard Marcus Johnson has tremendous athletic ability and can create for himself quite well. Power forward Kurt Huelsman can fill in some minutes at the four and five spots when necessary. Who to Watch: Brian Roberts led the squad with 16.0 points per game last year and tacked on 3.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds. He’s a long range threat, draining 41% of his shots from beyond the arc. However, Roberts won’t have to carry the team, especially since Monty Scott will be on the other wing. Scott averaged 11.2 points and 4.3 rebounds last season and can do a little bit of everything. Final Projection: The frontcourt might not be the most talented group in the A-10, but there are plenty of options with this versatile unit. Norman Plummer averaged 10.0 points and a team high 6.5 rebounds last year. While he isn’t a true center, the 6-7, 238 pound junior should see most of his minutes at the five. Charles Little impressed as a freshman and it will be hard to keep him out of the starting lineup. Jimmie Binnie and Desmond Adedeji have starting experience as well and will provide some minutes off of the bench. The A-10 will be tough this year, but an NIT bid isn’t out of the question. However, a 7th place finish in the conference won’t quite be enough to warrant a postseason berth. Projected Post-season Tournament: none Projected Starting Five: Andres Sandoval, Junior, Guard, DNP last season Brian Roberts, Junior, Guard, 16.0 points per game Monty Scott, Senior, Forward, 11.2 points per game Charles Little, Sophomore, Forward, 4.6 points per game Norman Plummer, Junior, Forward, 10.0 points per game www.collegehoopsnet.com/preview/2006/97.htm
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Post by Raider Country on Jul 17, 2006 18:48:55 GMT -5
It is an away game, correct?
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